Network Airline Management Ramps Up Nairobi–Liège Operations
UK-based freighter specialist Network Airline Management (NAM) transported 3,100 tonnes of freshly cut flowers from Nairobi to Liege Airport during the 2026 Valentine’s campaign.
To accommodate demand, NAM operated 16 regular scheduled flights alongside 15 additional ad hoc services — the highest number of peak-season flights in its history. Each Boeing 747 freighter departure carried more than 100 tonnes of roses and carnations, pushing aircraft payloads to maximum utilisation.
Across the programme, more than 1,300 pallets were transported, with average pallet weights exceeding 2.3 tonnes. Upon arrival in Liège, shipments were processed and transferred via road feeder services to wholesalers and florists throughout continental Europe and the UK.
Sam Lindsey, NAM’s commercial and operations director, said the additional flights built on last year’s schedule expansion from six to eight weekly rotations, describing the 15 extra services as evidence of the company’s growing operational resilience during peak perishables periods.
Liège Airport Strengthens Its Flower Hub Role
Liege Airport handled 13,850 tonnes of flowers over the four-week Valentine’s campaign, supported by 45 additional charter flights on top of regular scheduled operations.
The Belgian cargo hub said preparations begin months in advance, with ground handlers, freight forwarders, airlines, trucking firms and public authorities coordinating to anticipate volumes, staffing requirements and regulatory considerations.
The majority of flower imports originated from Kenya, Ethiopia, Ecuador and Colombia, as well as Latin American gateways including Quito and Bogotá.
Liège emphasised the importance of rapid airside-to-warehouse transfers and temperature-controlled infrastructure. Dedicated ULD-compatible cold rooms maintained at 2–8°C, combined with contingency storage capacity, help safeguard product integrity — a critical factor given that individual consignments can be valued at up to $1m.
LATAM Cargo Leads Latin American Exports
LATAM Cargo transported more than 24,000 tonnes of flowers from Colombia and Ecuador to the United States and Europe during the three-week Valentine’s period.
To meet the surge in demand, the group deployed approximately 430 flights from Bogotá, Medellín and Quito. Of the total volume, roughly 12,000 tonnes originated in Ecuador and over 12,300 tonnes from Colombia.
Claudio Torres Faini, commercial director for South America at LATAM Cargo Group, said the airline’s fourth consecutive year leading the regional Valentine’s market reflects sustained customer confidence.
In 2025 alone, LATAM Cargo transported more than 245,000 tonnes of flowers from Colombia and Ecuador, underlining the structural importance of floriculture exports to the Andean airfreight economy.
dnata Sees Volume Spike at Dubai Flower Centre
In the Middle East, ground handler dnata reported a sharp uplift in flower volumes at its dedicated facility within the Dubai Flower Centre.
Between 7 and 11 February, dnata handled 227,530 kg of flowers across 274 shipments — comprising more than 18,700 boxes. Activity peaked on 10 February, when 59,800 kg were processed in a single day, more than double normal daily throughput.
Inbound shipments primarily originated from Colombia, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Kenya and the Netherlands. While hydrangeas, chrysanthemums and orchids featured prominently, red roses remained the dominant product ahead of 14 February.
Guillaume Crozier, dnata’s chief cargo officer, described Valentine’s Day as one of the busiest periods in the perishables calendar, highlighting close coordination with airline partners, exporters and freight forwarders to ensure rapid and temperature-controlled handling.
Avianca Cargo Posts Five-Year High
Colombia-based Avianca Cargo recorded a 6% year-on-year increase in Valentine’s flower volumes, transporting more than 19,000 tonnes to the US — its strongest performance in five years.
Over a 22-day period, the airline operated nearly 320 cargo flights from Colombia and Ecuador to US gateways including Miami and Los Angeles. To manage the surge, Avianca Cargo increased its workforce by more than 30%, doubled cargo capacity from Colombia and tripled capacity from Ecuador.
Chief executive Diogo Elias said the airline reinforced its operations to provide the capacity, reliability and consistency required during the industry’s most critical seasonal peak.
A Market in Full Bloom
The 2026 Valentine’s season once again underscores the pivotal role of air cargo in supporting global floriculture trade. From Nairobi and Bogotá to Liège and Dubai, the coordinated deployment of additional freighters, charter flights and enhanced cold-chain capacity demonstrates the sector’s ability to respond swiftly to concentrated demand cycles.
For airlines and logistics providers alike, Valentine’s Day remains not only a celebration of romance — but one of the most commercially significant windows in the annual perishables calendar.
